Editor’s Note | October 2012

“For most of my life I’d harbored this fantasy—disappearing to a remote island, vanishing without a trace,” writes Andrew McCarthy, the actor, producer, and author, in an account of his journey to ever more distant islands in French Polynesia. Novelist Roxana Robinson set out for Japan on a mission of a different sort: to gain understanding of how landscapes are transformed by cultures while exploring the “honored, and cherished” gardens of Kyoto.

Travel with a purpose is at the heart of T+L’s annual Global Vision Awards, which shine a spotlight on the hotels, travel companies, and community-based initiatives that serve as powerful forces for good in protecting what is irreplaceable in the world: our cultural and natural resources. Along with listings for each winner, we present opportunities to “Take the Trip,” from tagging and releasing endangered marsupials in Western Australia to watching sea turtles make their way to the ocean at Dominica’s Rosalie Bay Resort, in the Caribbean, or helping out at a clinic near a jungle resort in Indonesia. This year, we at Travel + Leisure are launching a philanthropic initiative of our own in partnership with Room to Read, whose founder and co-chair, John Wood, was among the distinguished panel of experts in sustainability and conservation judging the awards. Those of you who attended the magazine’s second annual Global Bazaar, held at the Lexington Avenue Armory, in New York City, on September 28–30, had a chance to learn more about this impressive organization, which builds libraries and advocates for literacy in some of the most sorely disadvantaged global destinations.

Reporting on the timeless and enduring, whether the prodigiously restored Sebaldus Cathedral, in Nuremberg, Germany (“Sailing the Danube River,” by Gini Alhadeff), or the traditional producers of Reblochon cheese in France’s Haute-Savoie, is a key part of the mission of this magazine. By pointing the way to distinctive and memorable experiences, our goal is twofold: to encourage mindfulness about natural and cultural resources, and to bring you face to face with the wonders of the world.

Introducing Room to Read

Travel + Leisure has just launched a partnership with Room to Read to promote global literacy. In future issues, you’ll learn more about how this vital organization is building libraries and schools—ensuring that children in nine countries get the education they need. Find out how you can help right now at roomtoread.org/travelandleisure.